1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to labels incorporating leaflets and more particularly pertains to a new label structure that incorporates a leaflet that is highly suitable for use on containers with relatively small exterior dimensions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Applying informational and instructional labels to containers is known in the art. In container applications where relatively large amount of information need to be associated with the container, small leaflets and booklets have been incorporated into the labels to provide sufficient area for text and other information that would not otherwise practically fit on the label.
However, the packaging of pharmaceuticals presents unique challenges to common and accepted product packaging techniques. Unlike many products that are packaged in relatively large containers (such as, for example, agricultural products in gallon or larger jugs), pharmaceuticals such as pills or liquids are typically packaged in relatively much smaller containers. The small containers are typically less than about five or six inches tall, and much of that height is taken up by the lid and the constricted neck portion of the container, so that very little of the overall height of the container is available to adhered the label. This reduced amount of “real estate” on the surface of the container makes it difficult if not impossible to include all required information about the contents on a simple label. The typical approach has been to employ the aforementioned leaflets or booklets with the containers. However, the small containers used to hold pharmaceuticals, for example, typically have a horizontal cross section that is substantially round or square in shape, and this cross section in many cases may not exceed approximately 2 inches in the largest dimension. This relatively small cross section size typically produces small radiuses to which a label applied to the container needs to conform. As a result, labels that are relatively stiffer are more difficult to apply to the small radius of the small container and, once applied, are more difficult to keep adhered to the container. This is especially a problem for labels that incorporate a leaflet that includes several leaves or panels, which do not conform well to the curves of the containers. Even if the leaflet can be attached to the small container, the small size of the container, and as a result the small size of the panels of the leaflet, places a significant limit on the amount of information that can be accommodated on the leaflet. These factors can make the use of labels incorporating leaflets on small containers very difficult and unsuitable for containing the large amounts of information often associated with pharmaceuticals.
The conventional thinking has been to associate a separable folded leaflet with the container. One approach has been to adhere the leaflet directly to the surface of the container (or the cap of the container). This approach can result in the leaflet being vulnerable to loss from the container if the leaflet is not adequately and securely adhered, while the size (and thus the information holding capacity) of the leaflet is still highly limited. Another approach has been to place the container in a separate box or package and place the insert inside the box with the container. This approach suffers from the significant additional cost and bulk that results from the extra packaging. Yet another approach has been to apply a single layer label to the bottle with a portion of the information printed on the single layer label, and then to apply a separate folded “leaflet” to the single layer label, typically by adhering the leaflet to the outer face of the label on the container with a limited spot of adhesive, which may not adequately secure the leaflet to the label.
Each of these approaches has the drawback of being a relatively time and labor intensive procedure, as they are typically performed at the time that the containers are filled (rather than when the label is produced) by the pharmaceutical company. These approaches also require a strict reconciliation scheme to be implemented by the pharmaceutical company to assure that the number of leaflets matches the number of containers. For example, verification must be made that equal numbers of labels and leaflets are applied to an equal number of the containers, so that one or more of the containers are not shipped missing a leaflet. If a reconciliation between the number of labels applied and the number of leaflets applied is not achieved, such as when more labels are used in the process than leaflets applied, then a laborious process of checking the containers must be performed if the affected batch of containers is still within the filling and labeling facility. In some cases, a recall of the unreconciled batch of containers is required if the batch of containers has already left the facility. The reconciliation process thus adds considerable effort and risk to the container filling and labeling process, as it requires strict bookkeeping practices.
It is therefore believed that there is a need for a label structure system that is suitable for including large amounts of printed information on a small container through the use of a leaflet that avoids the need for a reconciliation procedure, as well as removes the burden of applying the leaflet to the label from the pharmaceutical manufacturer.